If you were looking to buy a safe happy hacker type cob…

[Bogspavinkate67]

Would you look at any of the specialist dealers prevalent on sm atm who are buying up youngsters and putting work in to them and then selling on?

Please I am deliberately not mentioning any names because there are quite a few sellers doing this and I think some are good and some are not so good so I don’t want to give the impression they are all the same.

I am looking for that holy grail, the safe plod, the good in traffic, mother-daughter share! But I don’t need it immediately, only in about a year or so when my old boy finally retires.

So just looking around atm but I am not sure that I agree with the concept of selling four and five year olds as reliable hacks.

To me, hacking nowadays is one of the most unpredictable things you can do with a horse. Plenty of these cobs are aimed at novices too and I was always taught novice rider > older horse.

I am not a novice but I want something very very steady now as I am in my sixties with osteoarthritis in my knees and my DDs are away studying and only ride in the holidays.

What does everyone think? As it will probably be my last ever horse, I am really nervous of making a mistake.

Definitely not … there’s no way a 4 year old can be guaranteed as being a safe, plodding hack - they haven’t stopped growing, they’re often very sweet as 4 year olds and horrible as 5 and 6 year olds before settling down again and there’s no way a 4 year old could have seen enough of life

Thank you Pleasedontdothat

That was really what I was thinking too.

I know a lot depends on individual temperament but as you say, that can change as they age.

This. I've seen lovely sweet four year olds turn into wild things.

I'd look at a proper established dealer with good reviews

I would look at 8 yr-olds or older. I made the mistake of buying one too young, then got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and what used to be thrilling hacks in the forest became very painful for my ankles and therefore no fun at all!

Like pp, I just don't see how a four-year-old can be steady, nor a five-year-old. Even a cobby type.

That said, one of the best rides I've ever had was on a cob. He was the perfect combination of steady, unflappable and forward. But he was about 11 yrs old. I wanted to take him home with me but was in Ireland and he was not for sale. Those horses are like gold dust.

You say it like it's a new thing. People/dealers have always bought youngsters, brought them on and sold for a profit.
The horse you're looking for is the horse that 80% of the equestrian world is looking for. The safe, steady hacking plod. They were always expensive, if they even hit the market but they'll be £10k now, so a big investment.
I agree about the 4 year olds but I did once have a 3 yr old who was the steadiest horse I've ever known. He could have done riding for the disabled from the get go. They're out there but typically made rather than bought.

Meant to add good luck, it's a lovely project to have!

I’d say no from one of those dealers , especially the ones that get them over from Ireland . They have them a really short time before selling them at vastly inflated prices. They are completely unschooled and usually smaller than advertised.
theres another one t.c that seems to have older ones from established homes and I’d consider that but again you will be paying g over the odds.
i bought a four year old cob last year and she is very sane and lovely and a super hack but she gets a lot of schooling and I knew she had been started properly. I didn’t pay a huge amount for her so it’s possible to get a sane youngster but you need a bit of back up .

Thank you, very helpful advice. 👍

I’d love to have the confidence like you to bring one on myself. I did it with my current horse with help from someone else who was very experienced, but now I am older, I am a bit more cautious!

Good luck with your youngster; she sounds amazing!

Thank you!

I keep hesitating tbh and thinking am I mad?

It will depend on finding the right horse. And I am not going to rush it and expect to pay a bit more as I reckon it will be worth it.

Yes I know this has been happening since year dot but I wasn’t aware of quite so many cob specific dealers before, outside of the show world anyway.

I agree about the price, anything decent starts at 🥕8 and I have seen them up to
🥕15 depending on breeding and experience.

Thank you very much for this advice, sounds like we are facing similar issues. So sorry about your RA. 💐

Yes 8 to 10 sounds about right. I’d even go
for older being an old grey mare myself 😆

Young horses are often quiet because they are wobbly and unbalanced, they get stronger and more sure of themselves and can be very difficult animals. My mare could be ridden by anyone in walk and trot at 4, hit 5 and realised she was a hugely powerful blood type…

Yes they definitely get a better idea of their own strength by five going on six.

You could always go to somewhere like Sheans in Ireland, where they do horse buying holiday packages. You stay there are try any horses that you are interested in - in the arena, hacking, XC etc. These are horses that are used for their riding holidays, so should be pretty much what you're interested in.
horsebackridingtoursireland.com/contact-us-and-prices/

I am a happy hacker, I am also disabled. However, I have also had several horses of different types, from yearlings, plus adult horses.

I would not buy a 4-year-old cob from a dealer.

Controversially, I wouldn't buy a cob at all. I don't like how hard you need to lay down the law with them - the lines of what is acceptable behaviour must be crystal clear to them - as I cannot cope with any bargy behaviour. The tug towards a nice bit of grass is not something I can take in my stride, as it causes me pain, so I have to have good ground and ridden manners. Unfortunately, I find the 'rocking horse' movement when riding them for longer hacks can also cause me pain.

What I would look at is a good-mannered finer type, that is 100% on the ground and is already doing the job I want (the horse is already good in traffic, hacks safely alone and in company, and doesn't pull).

Thanks for this info! What a great idea; never even heard of this.

Very interesting points thank you; all very much worth considering.

Sadly I am no longer a fine type myself 😂 so need something with a bit of bone. But point taken about manners.

If it’s just hacking you want to do, look at Redwings rescue, they often have cobs for low level hacking homes

I agree with others, I wouldn't be keen to buy younger than 6 and ideally not from a dealer. I'm not averse to all dealers in all situations but I think for what you want you would be better off buying from a private home, and one where they are already doing the job you want them for or as close as possible to, and in as similar a set-up as possible to yours. I.e. if you are on a busy livery yard with lots of comings and goings and limited winter turnout I would try and avoid something that's been kept on private grazing with a consistent companion 24/7. Or if you're an amateur rider that just wants to quietly hack a few times a week I wouldn't want a competition horse that's been kept very fit in a busy routine, however much the owner/ seller swears they're ready for a step down and quieter life (that usually just means they're physically worn out and/or mentally sour IME).

Like a pp says I also wouldn't fixate on a cob although it's fine to have a breed preference, I would just look for the horse that's right for you regardless of type. I feel like too often those dealers that specialise in cobs lean into the 'dope on a rope' stereotype and make people feel as though a cob must automatically be quiet and easy, where the reality is cobs are horses like any other and particularly where they're young or green or just a more sensitive and hot personality they can be just as difficult to deal with as a blood horse (and they're heavier and stronger than many blood horses as well!). The most stressy, highly strung horse I have ever in all my life sat on was my little mini cob mare, until they rode her themselves I had the greatest difficulty getting people including professionals to believe me that she really was a warmblood brain in a stout and hairy body. Conversely the best old-lady bombproof hack on the yard ATM is an off the track TB (not suggesting you rush out and get one of them either as I'm obviously giving extreme examples - just don't get misled by stereotypes and pushy sellers and look at the horse in front of you is my advice).

The prices of the horses at Sheans did make me slightly shocked. They are high for the quality you are getting, and moving from a trekking centre to a private home is a job change. Like moving a horse from a riding school to a private home can be a bit of a risk if the new owner isn't ready for potential issues due to the change in environment and work level.

As an aside - Horse fashions have changed so much. Sadly, not for the better in all cases.

I can remember when people with a good, native mare would put her to a TB stallion, and the crossbred foals would usually grow into lovely types for an ordinary rider. So many Welsh D x TB, Fell x TB, Dales x TB, etc. at that time in my area. Nice middleweight types with good temperaments that could carry a reasonable amount of weight.

I would love to see a return of these crossbreeds, but they fell out of fashion.

I also miss all the lovely anglo-arabs and PBAs that were also so popular back then.

Back on topic. I agree - a horse that is already doing the job you want is always sensible. Horses are always a bit of a gamble, but why take a big gamble when you can be careful and only take a small gamble?

Thank you FuzzyFetlocks
and maxelly

A lot of great advice from you both.

We are lucky enough to keep our horses at home. They live outdoors 24/7 with a voluntarily stable set up so need something reasonably hardy. And I am only riding three or four times a week maximum in summer and less in winter so need something fairly easy going.

Thank you, and other pps, for the steer about going after something that’s already doing the job. Agree that a sale from a private home would probably be best.

Also I take on board the points about breeding! I agree completely about the lack of calm sensible cross breeds nowadays.

I will try to be more open-minded about the type I am looking for.

Maybe I should go for M&M instead but I think they even harder to find? Even more expensive? I tried to find a Dales when I bought my current boy nine years ago but it was an impossible task!

Again , like a cob, don’t assume an m and m will be quiet and sane. Dales and Connies can be quite sharp , highlands seem to be either a bit dead or again sharp ( massive generalisation there are fab highlands don’t want to offend ) just saying be careful as highlands often pushed as bombproof mounts .

Thank you! Yes I certainly had an experience of a very sharp Connie in my youth! They are often sold as the perfect second pony but not all of them meet that criteria.

I’ll take you at your word about Highlands too! They are certainly bred for stamina so it makes sense that x3 a week hack will not be enough… even when living out 24/7.

God no.

No 4 or 5 year old horse is going to be reliable because they just don’t have the mileage or life experience. Especially one that’s been through a dealer.

Thank you!

I kind of guessed the answer to this when I asked the question but, even so, I found myself tempted by one or two of the horses in some of those videos, presented by different dealers, and wondered how come no one was querying in the comments about four or five year olds being suitable for novices?

However, some of these dealers do ask for riding videos from potential buyers so it may be they are more careful about who they sell to, than the advertising suggests?

This is just a general comment btw and I am not referring to any dealer in particular.